The Murder Capital are back with new single ‘Can’t Pretend To Know’

The Murder Capital press photo
Photo credit: Hugo Comte

The Murder Capital have shared new single Can’t Pretend To Know, their first release of 2024. Listen here or via YouTube below.

Can’t Pretend To Know is the perfect return, built on a razor sharp riff and an anthem-in-waiting. It synthesizes all that makes the Murder Capital such a distinctive and captivatingb band. The track was recorded in Los Angeles earlier this year with producer John Congelton (St Vincent, Angel Olsen, Sharon Van Etten) in an intense and fast paced session that prioritized urgency, energy and freshness. It’s a track that points to the new era of The Murder Capital, carrying a new focus and clarity.

Frontman James McGovern talks about the track, “‘Can’t Pretend To Know’ is a whip of a tune that we made to feel like a hurricane of colour and breathlessness. A surreal look at childhood innocence and all its replacers, those delicate bridges we burn as we move through the strangeways of our youth. Moulded by everything we come into contact with. Learning lessons from toys. Playing the parts that are asked of us.”

Along with the single the band have announced a short UK tour and they’ll be supporting Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds in Europe. McGovern – a lyricist who’s never not composing ideas and a frontman who’s never not honing his stagecraft – will be watching the headliner, a songwriter’s songwriter and performer’s performer, “every single second”. 

All live dates are below – 

w/ Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds*

October 13, 2024 – Budapest, Hungary*
October 15, 2024 – Zagreb, Croatia*
October 17 2024 – Prague, Czechia*
October 18, 2024 – Munich, Germany*
October 20, 2024 – Milan, Italy*
October 22, 2024 – Zurich, Switzerland*
October 24, 2024 – Barcelona, Spain*
October 25, 2024, Madrid, Spain*
October 27, 2024 – Lisbon, Portugal*
October 30, 2024 – Antwerp, Belgium*

Aus/NZ

March 31, 2025 – Wellington, San Fran 
April 1, 2025 – Auckland, Tuning Fork 
April 3, 2025 – Melbourne, The Corner
April 4, 2025 – Brisbane, Brightside 
April 5, 2025 – Sydney, Crowbar 
April 7, 2025 – Perth, The Rosemount 

UK

April 17, 2025 — Birmingham, XOYO Birmingham
April 18, 2025 — Manchester, New Century Hall
April 19, 2025 — Glasgow, Saint Luke’s
April 21, 2025 — Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
April 22, 2025 — Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
April 24, 2025 — London, Outernet London
April 26, 2025 — Bristol, SWX

UK tour tickets are on general sale on sale now. Aus/NZ tickets are on general sale now.

2023 was a breakthrough year for The Murder Capital. The release of their second album ‘Gigi’s Recovery’ saw widespread acclaim, and went to Number 1 in Ireland and broke the Top 20 in the UK album charts. The band embarked on their biggest tour of the US, and performed at many festivals around the world including defining sets at Coachella, Glastonbury and Rock En Seine. Their ‘Clown’s Reflection Tour’ in the autumn was a huge success and culminated in a sold-out headline show at Dublin’s 3Olympia Theatre. More recently the group supported Pearl Jam in the UK and Europe as they played some of the biggest stages of their career to date. 

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